Tube display



Jan. 19, 1965 J. J. MARO. 3,166,281

TUBE DISPLAY Filed Jan. 3, 1963 INVENTOR JOSEPH J MARC BY gm n qT'TORNEY United States Patent O 3,166,281 TUBE DISPLAY Joseph J. Maro, Morton Grove, Ill., assignor to Waldorf Paper Products Company, St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Filed Jan. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 249,161 Claims. (Cl. 248-108) This invention relates to an improvement in tube display and deals particularly with a simple and inexpensive display card designed to hold a collapsilbe tube in display position and to provide a means by which the tube may be supported by a hook on a display rack.

From time to time it is found desirable to mount a collapsible tube on a display card so that the product contained in the tube may be more effectively advertised, and so that the tube may be suspended from a display rack. For example, when putting anew product on the market, the use of an advertising card is often of material assistance in making the public aware of the product. As collapsible tubes are in many instances merchandised in tuck end cartons, it is oftentimes possible to produce an advertising display card for approximately the same cost as the carton, and the display card, being flat, provides a greater advertising space. Furthermore, by folding the display card centrally, the card may be printed on both sides of the display in a single operation, thereby greatly increasing the amount of advertising space available.

An object of the present invention resides in the provision of a display of the type in question which comprises merely an elongated sheet of paperboard which is creased and folded intermediate its ends to form a rear panel and a front panel. An aperture is formed in the front panel through which the central portion of the tube may extend, the tube being anchored within the folder by the fact that the flattened end of the tube is Wider than the aperture. A tab is cut from the rear panel to extend through the front panel, and this tab is apertured to accommodate the neck or sleeve through which the contents of the tube is dispensed. As a result, the tube is effectively supported, is relatively pilfer-proof, and forms an effective display of the major portion of the tube body.

An added feature of the present invention resides in the fact that by constructing the display in the manner described with a tab of the rear panel extending through the front panel and engaging the tube, the two panels are held in proper folded relationship. In other words, the engagement of the tab with the neck of the tube serves to hold the tube securely in place, and also to hold the display in proper display condition.

An added feature of the present invention resides in the tab arrangement which preferably comprises a tab of panels folded into face contact and including registering apertures through which the neck of the tube may extend.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification;

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the tube holder in use.

FIGURE 2 is a rear perspective view of the same.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the same.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective detail of the tube neck engaging tab structure.

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the tube holder is formed.

The tube holder display card is indicated in general by the letter A, while the tube supported is indicated in general by the letter B. The tube B is of conventional form including a generally cylindrical body which is flattened at its lower end as indicated at 11, this flattened tube end being of a width equal to one-half the tube 3,155,231 Patented Jan. 19, 1965 circumference, and thus being wider than the tube diameter. The tube includes an inwardly tapered top portion 12 connecting the tube body with the neck or sleeve 13, through which the contents of the tube are dispensed. The neck or sleeve is usually closed by means of a screw cap 14 or similar means.

The tube support A comprises an elongated substantially rectangular strip of paperboard or the like which is preferably divided into a front panel 15 and a rear panel 16 by a transverse fold line 17 which extends across the sheet substantially midway between its ends. An aperture 19 is formed in the front panel 15 by means of two opposed outwardly bowed out lines 20 which, at their most widely spaced points, are spaced apart a distance approximately equal to, or slightly greater than, the tube diameter. The lower ends of the cut lines 20 terminate at the fold line 17 and are connected by a cross out line 21. The upper ends of the cut lines 20 may be connected by a cut line or crease line 22. When a out line is employed, the area between the cut lines 20 and the cut lines 21 and 22 is stripped out, but if preferred, most of the paperboard between these cut lines may remain hinged to the 'front panel along the fold line 22, and. this area may then form a flap 23 which may be folded rearwardly by the tube. The flap 23 usually terminates at the out line 24 extending between the cut lines 20 and spaced above the out line 21 to prevent binding or crowding at the lower extremity of the folded panels.

An aperture 13 is formed in the front panel 15, the upper edge of which is spaced from the fold line 17 a distance substantially equal to the distance between the flattened end 11 of the tube and the base of the neck 13. This aperture is formed by a generally U-shaped out line 25 which terminates at a transverse fold line 26 spaced from the fold line 17 a distance substantially equal to the height of the tube from the flattened end 11 to the base of the neck 13. The cut line 25 thus defines a generally rectangular flap 27 which may be folded forwardly from the front panel 15 as indicated in FIGURES 1, 3, and 4 of the drawings. The edge of the flap 27 is provided with a rounded notch 29 which has a radius substantially equal to the radius of the cap 14 or may be slightly smaller. The rear panel 16 is out along a pair of parallel cut lines 30 to define a tab 31. The cut lines 30 are spaced apart a distance approximately equal to the distance between the sides of the U-shaped out line 25 so that the tab 31 may extend through the aperture formed in the front panel 15 when the flap 27 is folded forwardly therefrom. The tab 31 is connected to the remainder of the rear panel 16 along a fold line 32 which is spaced from the fold line 17 a distance substantially equal to the distance between the fold line 17 and the fold line 26 in the front panel 15. The tab 31 is provided with an aperture 33 therethrough which may fit snugly about the cap 14 of the tube and may be forced therethrough, or may be of a diameter slightly less than the. cap, but slightly more than that of the neck 13. In such a case, it would be necessary to remove the cap 14 to attach the tube B to the display card A.

A tab extension 34 is hinged to the tab 31 along a fold line 35 parallel to the fold line 32 connecting the tab 31 to the rear panel 16. This tab extension 34 is provided with an aperture 36 extending therethrough which is designed to register with the aperture 33 in the tab 31 when the extension 34 is folded back into face contact with the tab 31.

In operation, the lower flattened end 11 is inserted through the aperture 20 from the front thereof, but usually by holding the flattened end of the tube to extend generally longitudinally of the aperture and twisting the tube after it has been inserted. The back panel 16 is folded up behind the base of the tube and the tab extension 34 is folded into face contact with the tab 31, and the two Q tabs inserted through the aperture formed by the U-shaped out line 25, this operation folding the tab 27 forwardly as shown in FIGURE 4. The neck of the cap is inserted through the aperture, while the cap 14 is removed, and the cap is then applied to the end of the 'tube. If the tab apertures are of suificient size, the cap tube may be inserted therethrough, but when the tube is attached with the cap removed, it is impossible to remove the tube from the display Without removing the cap unless the display card is torn.

An aperture 37 is normally provided through the panel 15 by means of which the display card and tube may be supported from a hook or similar rack structure.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my improvement in tube displa and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1'. A tube display adapted for usein combination with a flexible collapsible tube including a generally cylindrical b-ody having a dispensing neck of smaller diameter than the body at one end thereof, and a flattened opposite tube end which is wider than the tube diameter, the display including an elongated strip transversely folded to provide a front panel and a rear panel, said front panel having an aperture therethrough through which the body of the tube is adapted to extend, said aperture being narrower in Width than the flattened end of the tube to retain the flattened 4 tube end between said panels, a tab hingedly secured to said rear panel along a fold line generally parallel to the transverse line of fold, said tab extending through said front panel and including an aperture adapted to encircle said dispensing neck. I

2. The construction of claim 1 and in which said aperture 7 in said front panel is elongated in a direction at right 5. The structure of claim 1 and in which said tab eXtends through an aperture in said front panel defining by a U-shaped cut line in said front panel forming a flap hinged to the front panel along a fold line substantially in registry with the tab fold line in said rear panel, and the flap being folded forwardly in face contact with said tab.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,828,154 Sigveland Oct. 20, 1931 2,100,223 Reed Nov. 23, 1937 2,125,784 Higgins Aug. 2, 1938 

1. A TUBE DISPLAY ADAPTED FOR USE IN COMBINATION WITH A FLEXIBLE COLLAPSIBLE TUBE INCLUDING A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL BODY HAVING A DISPENSING NECK OF SMALLER DIAMETER THAN THE BODY AT ONE END THEREOF, AND A FLATTENED OPPOSITE TUBE END WHICH IS WIDER THAN THE TUBE DIAMETER, THE DISPLAY INCLUDING AN ELONGATED STRIP TRANSVERSELY FOLDED TO PROVIDE A FRONT PANEL AND A REAR PANEL, SAID FRONT PANEL HAVING AN APERTURE THERETHROUGH THROUGH WHICH THE BODY OF THE TUBE IS ADAPTED TO EXTEND, SAID APERTURE BEING NARROWER IN WIDTH THAN THE FLATTENED END OF THE TUBE TO RETAIN THE FLATTENED TUBE END BETWEEN SAID PANELS, A TAB HINGEDLY SECURED TO 